Rover OPPORTUNITY microscopic image . . . Martian soil . . . feel free to speculate

NASA - JPL ^ | 02-03-2004 | NASA/JPL

[Phil V.]

Microscopic Imager Non-linearized Full frame EDR aquired on Sol 10 of Opportunity's mission to Meridiani Planum at approximately 11:26:27 Mars local solar time, Microscopic Imager dust cover commanded to be OPEN. NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

What's with the roundish grains?

1) Pyroclastic/volcanic origin

2) fungus colony

3) beach sand

4) Aldrin's golf ball

5) corrupt data

view larger image

[Phil V.]

It would be nice for someone at JPL/Nasa to place a measurement bar on that image . . .

A similar microscopic image from Spirit captured an area of 1.2" sq. Spirit's first microscopic images

[Professional Engineer]

No trilobites?

I'm holding out for the T. Rex skeleton.

[GeronL]

Those things look biological...

[Starve The Beast]

It would be nice for someone at JPL/Nasa to place a measurement bar on that image - that could be a beach ball for all we can tell.

Excellent point, I was thinking the same thing. Even the best data is meaningless without an appropriate frame of reference.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

"Miles and Miles and Miles" =

Apollo 14 Moonman/Golfer SHEPPARD

[Phil V.]

The first microscopic image from Spirit captured 1.2" sq.

[Starve The Beast]

TY... so that's this image? 1.2 inches square?

[John H K]

I haven't been able to find a good pic but earth microtektites have been described as sometimes being "disc shaped."

[Phil V.]

Depends on whether or not the camera was the same distance from the soil. But probably that's close to the size of the patch of soil.

[marvlus]

MARTIAN DIATOMS!

or.... perhaps, MARTIAN DIAPHRAGMS!

[o_zarkman44]

the spots remind me of lime grains and powdered lime.

[JOE6PAK]

Clutch/pressure plate assembly. 1968 Dodge Dart.

[tet68]

Perhaps the bright spots in the panaramic shot are the mama Diatom's?


Aha! AHA! Primordia! Pinheads! I'm telling you
Martian Shroons tm. are going to go big. Sure there's the
transportation problem, and the quarantine thing but those
are just details.

[FireTrack]

Seems to be a ton of em...

[RightWhale]

Volcanic ejecta, or once molten bolide fragments, vesicles due to entrapped gas.

[Phil V.]

It appears as though the upper right "sphere" casts a shadow . . . as though most of it is above surface or at least half exposed.

[djf]

Think they oughta get that puppy to the rocky outcroppings asap. We might never get another chance, hell, there's soil over there too.

[Young Werther]

So now we have to search for the KY Jelly?

That's quite an Opportunity to get into the Spirit of things.

[adam_az]

Aha! AHA! Primordia! Pinheads! I'm telling you Martian Shroons tm. are going to go big.